


bitter work

by the-bi-sokka-club (blametheone)



Series: the club hits 1k [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, even zuko hasnt, he is the only one who has set up camp before, iroh used to set up the tent, sokka is trying to set up camp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25432858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blametheone/pseuds/the-bi-sokka-club
Summary: When Katara and Suki leave to get supplies from a neighbouring town, leaving the others to set up camp, it becomes distressingly clear to Sokka that Toph, Aang, and Zuko have no idea what they’re doing.
Series: the club hits 1k [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1840897
Comments: 4
Kudos: 236





	bitter work

**Author's Note:**

> requested by anonymous on tumblr

When they landed, after leaving the Western Air Temple, it was very clear that there were things to be done, and that the feelings about having lost half of their group (or fighting one’s own sister in mid-air) weren’t going to change that.

They needed to get a campsite set up, and with the sun lowering in the sky it was time to get started on dinner. Sokka and Katara were both desperate to pick up a task, any task, to try and take their minds off the regretful goodbye.

Suki noticed this, and they had barely landed when she announced that her and Katara would travel to the nearest village for supplies.

“We’re running out of food, and I want to pick up a whetstone and maybe a new strop for the weapons,” Suki’s words were levelled and stern, climbing up onto Appa’s head and taking the reins. “Anyone need anything?”

There was a chorus of mumbled ‘no’s around the small group while Katara climbed back into the saddle, and then they were off.

“Alright,” Sokka turned to his leftovers, “We need to get a camp set up. We have a few tents we need to pitch and when the girls get back we can decide who’s going where.”

Aang and Toph, almost definitely, would not need tents set up for them, but Sokka couldn’t be bothered having the ‘work for the team’ argument right now, and judging by the almost nervous shifting of Zuko’s gaze, Sokka was 100% sure the guy had no idea how to pitch a tent.

“We also need to get started on dinner,” Sokka pointed to the setting sun, hauling their big pot off the ground and thrusting it into Aang’s hands. “I know Katara usually takes care of it, but she’s not here and we don’t know when they will be back. Aang, I need you to fill this with clean water and get it over a fire to start heating up.”

Aang made a small nod and joked, “Yes, sir!” before spinning off to find water.

Sokka turned to Toph and Zuko, frowning a little in thought.

“Do either of you know how to pitch a tent?”

Zuko looked at Toph, who didn’t look back because looking wasn’t exactly a thing she did, and they both shrugged one shoulder and made mumble-y noises that didn’t technically say anything, but it was very apparent to Sokka that they didn’t know how to pitch a tent.

“Okay, well…” Sokka rubbed his arm. “Zuko, you captained a ship for three years, can you tie a knot?”

“I can tie three?” the prince offered, and a small part of Sokka died inside.

“Good enough,” Sokka nodded, hands on his hips.

Sokka unrolled the bundle of cloth tents, tossed the ropes out into the clearing, moving his hands by instinct.

Toph and Zuko stood.

“You can undo the bedrolls,” Sokka suggested, trying not to feel exasperated.

He could just hear Toph whisper, ‘where are the bedrolls?’ before Zuko moved, and the two of them fumbled to get them untied.

Or, Zuko fumbled to get them untied, and Toph stood there.

Sokka pressed his fingers to his temples.

“We’ll start setting up the camp but when Aang comes back, maybe you two could try and start dinner?”

“Uh…” Toph held up a finger. “That’s probably not a good idea.”

“Why?” Sokka turned, exasperated.

Toph gestured between her and Zuko, letting her hand fall back down.

“Well, we both kind of grew up… rich? I don’t know about Prince Sparky but I definitely don’t know how to cook,” she countered.

“Also,” Zuko chimed in, “Between the two of us we only have one working eye… I don’t think cooking is a good idea?”

“You’re a _firebender_ ,” Sokka deadpanned.

“Yeah, but I don’t need depth perception to firebend!”

Sokka held his hands up before he yelled at Zuko. Aang was approaching, and Sokka could see the little campfire he had set up with the pot sitting over it.

“ _Fine_. Aang,” Sokka pointed at the airbender who stopped mid-stride when his name was called, “I need you to cook dinner, get Toph to help you, and _no_ , you do not have to cook any meat. Zuko, help me put the tents up, please?”

Zuko was actually, a little bit helpful. It was very clear that he had not done this many times, but he was a quick learner, and that helped at least.

From out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Toph and Aang were hanging out around the vegetables, which he guessed was probably a good start.

~*~

“Uh…” Aang hummed, slicing through the taro on a steep angle, and at a very different thickness to the previous slice.

Toph was sitting next to him, mostly picking her fingernails and waiting to be useful, rather than trying to get in and mess around with sharp knives when she could only sort of sense where the vegetables where.

Aang cast a look towards her and his ears pricked.

“Oh!” he shouted, laying down the vegetables in a neat row so that they formed a square. “Do you think we can earthbend some slices through these?”

Toph shrugged one shoulder, arms crossed, and barely contemplated the thought before shifting into a solid stance and bringing her fists down. In beat, sheets of rock – sharp as a blade – shot up from under the vegetables, cutting halfway through them.

Aang scratched the back of his head.

“Kinda,” he mumbled. “Oh!”

Sokka tried desperately not to focus on the fact that Aang was using a flattened rock to bash at vegetables.

~*~

Sokka tugged the rope towards himself, tightening the knot. He poked his head around the side of the tent to catch Zuko’s gaze.

“Can you really not see that well?”

Zuko paused his hands and looked up. After a moment he looked away, resumed his knot tying, and shrugged a bit.

“Kinda? It depends on the lighting. And it’s still healing, so sometimes it opens or closes a bit and that changes how well I can focus.”

Sokka took the information as it came, decided to _not_ let Zuko try to hammer in the nails from this point on, and pulled the next tent into his lap to untie it when-

“Wait, you ninja around on roofs!” Sokka threw down the cloth. “Did you use your _eye_ to get out of cooking?”

Zuko shrugged a shoulder and made a fumbled excuse to go help Aang, and Sokka tried not to rip his hair out.


End file.
